


shocking scoop

by vivixn



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Eventual Romance, Journalism, Journalist Akira, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-12
Packaged: 2019-10-08 05:08:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17380172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/vivixn/pseuds/vivixn
Summary: As an uprising detective, all Goro wants is a head start into his career as a detective - particularly for his goal to someday place Shido in prison. Although, it isn’t necessarily easy to be taken seriously when he’s constantly under the intense scrutiny of his coworkers and treated as a boy idol from his fans.His life isn’t made any easier when Kurusu, a young prominent journalist, interviews him and challenges his role in society as a influential detective.





	shocking scoop

As a young, uprising detective, Goro wouldn’t say he was necessarily surprised when his popularity elevated out of the charts. He was gaining quite the reputation with the young crowd, as well as people from all age ranges.

It wasn’t entirely an easy task for him to become a prominent detective when there was a collection of obstacles to break through.

For one, his coworkers weren’t exactly the kindest bunch of people – instead, they were a harsh horde, roughened from their years of experience out in the field. It wasn’t easy for Goro to ignore their looks of disrespect, condemning him for his young age.

Also, his zealous fans were always focused on certain traits of his that weren’t exactly affiliated with his skills as a detective, such as his pleasing looks or his gracious personality, causing his coworkers to not take him seriously as an employee in the Special Investigation Department.

Because of his well-known reputation with the youthful circle, his work was always dwindled to barely anything. When Goro had demanded for an explanation, his higher-ups said it wasn’t required for him to perform the same tasks as his coworkers and that he was only needed for his influential presence to keep the public interested.

Whenever he did manage to work on cases with the assistance of his partners – whether it was the major or minor ones, Goro’s face would always be plastered as the main person who handled the job to the public, accumulating the respect and love of the community while gaining the hostility of his colleagues.

Along with the multiple hindrances in his direction, there were also a lot of factors Goro needed to uphold that went into his fame as a detective to continue being relevant to the workforce.

The first aspect was his appearance.

Goro always made sure his chestnut brown hair was carefully groomed, his haircut never passing the point of his chin. Before he left his apartment, Goro always double-checked and guaranteed his clothes were deliberately ironed so not a single wrinkle appeared on his outfit. Heading to the gym and pursuing hobbies such a bouldering or cycling was enough to hone his physique.

Another element to his fame was his social media.

It wasn’t a hobby Goro was intrigued with at first. But with time, he came to appreciate the simple joys of taking photos. It lent him something to do whenever he wasn’t doing schoolwork, interviews, or his scarce work. Often taking snapshots of his daily life was enough to allure more supporters.

Then, there was his personality.

At first, Goro had difficulty shaping his demeanor to suit the likings of the public. When he started out as a detective, nobody liked his jaded aspect he had of the world so Goro had to learn to tone it down. Having a pessimistic viewpoint of how the world operated wasn’t going to work out too well.

As the public face for the justice department, it was necessary for him to act as if everything was impeccable and superb. Even if the world was going straight to hell, he was expected to put on a show and portray the deplorable community as a flawless utopia.

So, Goro learned how to put on a poised smile and fight the injustice of the world with a simple laugh to his crowd. His soft expressions would melt the hearts of his audience and they would be more inclined to listen to him speak of the misdeeds of the world with a charming murmur.

He was a pariah, spreading the word of crimes to his worshippers. His job was to make news appear a little less intimidating, whether it was with lies or truths, which he was able to do with ease.

Akechi Goro could accept he was only a tool to the law enforcement. He was just a teenage detective, manipulating the hearts of the people. Even if it bothered him to be used as an accessory, he could push it aside for a greater objective in mind.

He supposed the only reason that spurred him into joining the SIU was his desire to pursue his father, who he soon learned was a popular politician, despite the public ignoring the telling signs of Shido’s crookedness. 

Even if he had to be the pawn of the SIU for the time being, Goro was surely going to place his father behind bars.

 

 

 

It was during the month of December, Goro was given the news that he was scheduled for another interview, one that he wasn’t aware would soon change his life. He had been in the Special Investigation Department, right after school had ended, when he was suddenly notified he was set to leave in ten minutes for a broadcasting in one hour at the TV station.

When he was told the news, he immediately felt indignation flaring up within him. There was a strong amount of impatience threatening to spill out of him brutally.

It had already been weeks since Goro was anywhere near a case. There was only frustration coursing through him. As of lately, he was not authorized to go near a crime scene or conduct investigations with his fellow coworkers. The fact that he wasn’t going to touch even a fragment of his tasks as a detective was enough to make Goro want to curse loudly.

With his fist secretly clenched by his side, Goro could only smile serenely and nod his head compliantly to his director. His footsteps out of the department were heavier than usual, deafening clanks against the tile floors of the corridors, indicating his concealed resentment.

Climbing the ranks was going to take time.

He had known so since he first started, after dedicating hours towards training and building work experience to join the force in hopes of someday bringing justice to Shido. It had only been a year since he approached the SIU director personally, demonstrating his skills, before gaining the approval to join.

Now, he was seventeen, the youngest of the group which was a remarkable feat that many could only wish for.

If only he received the same acceptance from his coworkers, who would constantly whisper dubiously about his abilities. Although, thankfully, there was also a small pinch of people who believed in his capacity to perform just as well, if not better, than his acquaintances. He also had the support of his fans, which will surely aid him in the future.

Although there weren’t many instances, Goro had clearly shown his talent through prior investigative cases. He supposed envy might’ve been the reason behind many of the foul glowers towards him.

He shouldn’t be too worried. It’ll simply take time for Goro to accomplish what he was aiming to do. Someday soon, he’ll gain his opportunity. Then, he’ll grasp it tightly, before it could ever think of slipping away.

On his way out of the department, he passed by Sae, who had been walking up the steps to enter the building. Upon laying eyes on him, she paused with a curious tilt to her head. With a wave of his hand, Goro smiled faintly, somewhat relieved to have caught her before he had left.

Nijima Sae was one of the only people he was able to fully enjoy spending time around. Just like him, she knew how it felt to be in his shoes. In a way, they were both shunned in the SIU.

Similar to how Goro was scorned for his age, Sae was belittled for her gender. However, it didn’t discourage her from working her hardest to prove her co-workers wrong. Goro strongly admired the grit she presented on the job – her determination spurring him to try his best as well.

Despite the drawbacks of her gender making her job a lot more difficult, Sae was slowly progressing further as a prosecutor, giving him hope that he would be able to do the same as well soon.

“Hello, Sae-san,” Goro greeted politely and was slightly taken aback with the small smile that spread upon her face. That soft look of hers were rare these days, usually seized by the strenuous labor of her job.

Nowadays, there were usually more frowns than smiles from her.

“I hear you’re going out for another interview,” Sae said, her eyes shining with amusement. She looked more intrigued than he had ever seen her. It almost felt like Goro was speaking to another person. He wasn’t used to her soft smiles, not when her face was constantly hardened in a steeled disposition.

“I go to plenty of interviews,” Goro said with a hint of inquiry in his tone.

There was a peak of curiosity for him to learn the cause behind her delighted demeanor. She was never as fascinated about his previous interviews before. With a slight hint of resentment, Goro noted that she never presented a relaxed look towards him before.

“Well, I hear this one’s special. Your interviewer is a well-known teen, just like you,” Sae uttered lightly.

“And exactly how is this going to be any different from my other interviews?” Goro asked, exasperated at the thought of another mundane interview. It wasn’t like he hated the interviews. In fact, Goro secretly relished in the attention it brought him from his supporters.

However, Goro disliked that his daily routine now consisted of various of interviews that were dull and tedious. They always posed the same questions such as his nonexistent love life or his hobbies. Even speaking of his job as a detective was nearly absent since none of the interviewers ever bothered to ask any longer due to the audience’s lack of interest. He would rather be spending his time on more cases than speak of dull topics with strangers.

He needed to advance even further into the SIU so that he could have the authority to advance in his mission.

“I know the kid that’s going to be interviewing you – he’s a friend of Makoto’s and a clever journalist. I’m sure he’ll ask some interesting questions.” A chuckle rumbled out of her mouth, which only kindled more questions in Goro’s mind.

Narrowing his eyes in confusion, Goro flashed Sae a dubious look.

“Don’t worry, you’ll enjoy this one,” Sae continued to huff with laughter. “He always manages to impress me with his views. I’m sure he’ll make you question on certain aspects of your outlook on the world.”

Raising his finger up to his chin in a display of interest, Goro hummed in fascination, slightly intrigued by the confidence in which Sae was displaying. 

“We’ll see about that,” Goro said, as he continued to walk down the steps of the SIU department, gesturing goodbye to Sae as he started towards the train station.

 

 

 

With all the bright lights, colorful interior, and cameras rolling, the TV station was just as Goro remembered it to be. The glinting flashes of the room was slightly disorienting to him but nevertheless, Goro pushed forward.

Slathering a dazzling smile across his face, Goro waved enthusiastically at the crowd of people in front of him, garnishing the excited squeals of the audience. It was only proper for him to greet his fans.

It also appeared as if his interviewer wasn’t at the TV station yet which was slightly aggravating. In all the times he had been interrogated previously for an interview, his reporter was always there before him. But here he was, waiting for a prolonged amount of time for his interviewer.

He was interested to figure out the reason behind Sae’s fascination with the person set to inquire him.

“I’m here,” a voice suddenly called out, sounding rather frenzied.

Goro glanced away from the crowd, face arranged with composition, as he glanced at the person darting onto the stage. It appeared to be some teenage boy, perhaps someone younger than him, plopping themselves down on the furniture across from his.

The teen breathed heavily, puffing out loud breaths, almost as if he had run for miles on end, as he stared out rather blankly at the large crowd that was shouting even louder at the sight of him.

“You’re rather late,” Goro said with a serene smile, quietly seething in annoyance internally. As of lately, he wasn’t fond of the constant interviews and the requirement to always be prim and proper in the eyes of the public. Just the simple act of his interviewer being late was enough to irritate him.

The teen across from him lurched his head towards Goro, eyes slightly wide, before breaking into a sheepish smile.

“I’m not usually offered the opportunity to conduct many interviews on television and the call to interview you was so sudden that I had to rush here,” the teen said apologetically, before turning towards the crowd with a charming grin. “Hopefully, I wasn’t an inconvenience to everyone here.”

The faces of the camera crew expressed irritation, but the excited screams of the crowd stated otherwise. He didn’t have a chance to reply before Kurusu was introducing himself with a polite bow, prompting Goro to do the same in response.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to speak with you, Akechi,” the journalist said with a soft laugh, turning to wave at the audience members for a brief second, before turning back to Goro. “I’m Kurusu Akira.”

“Nice to meet you, Kurusu. I’m Akechi Goro. Although, I suppose you already know that,” Goro said lightly. Keeping his composed smile, Goro allowed his eyes scan over the teen in front of him.

It was rather astounding.

There wasn’t anything outstanding about the teen sitting across from him. In fact, Goro could confidently admit that Kurusu was simply plain, no different from the dozens of adolescents that the detective passed by on a daily basis.

The dark hair on top of Kurusu’s head was a clutter, looking very similar to a bird’s nest, with the messy strands of hair all over the place. The color of the teen’s hair was also dull, nothing too remarkable with the similarity it had with most of the people in Japan. The teen could’ve at least dyed it another color to fit in with all the other idols and enhance his looks.

The glasses on the teen’s face also wasn’t creating a polished, handsome appearance. Maybe if he took off the spectacles, he’d look a hundred times better.

Goro couldn’t figure out what it was about Kurusu that made him so popular amongst all the teens. It was difficult for Goro to believe that this teen across from him was as well-known as Sae claimed him to be.

If there was a legitimate reason for the teen’s popularity, it certainly wasn’t because of his bland appearance.

“Shall we start?” Kurusu piped, causing Goro to snap out of his thoughts.

“Yes, let’s begin, I’m sure our audience has been waiting long enough,” Goro said, an unnecessary jab towards his interviewer.

Kurusu nodded in agreement, before turning his head toward the camera crew, flashing them a look that indicated for them to start. Within seconds, they were aiming the camera towards them, causing Goro to straighten his posture in his seat.

“Cutting back from the commercial,” the cameraman announced, before he began counting down. “Five, four, three…”

The exact second that the cameras began rolling, Kurusu turned towards the crowd and spoke out with a confident tone.

“Good afternoon, my name is Kurusu Akira,” the teen declared with a wide smile towards the camera, before motioning towards Goro with his hand, “and today I’ll be interviewing the popular high school detective, Goro Akechi.”

Just as he normally carried out during his interviews, Goro turned towards the crowd with a poised smile and declared serenely, “Hello everyone.”

Kurusu immediately dived towards interrogating him. There wasn’t much words coated in sugar falling from Kurusu’s mouth like most of the sweetened comments of the other interviewers. Instead, Kurusu leaped straight into one of the tougher questions.

“So, you’re a huge influence amongst teens these days, to the point you’re being titled as the second advent of the prince detective. How do you feel being compared to the beloved Shirogane Naoto?” Kurusu inquired, leaning back in his seat with his legs crossed. There was a fascinated gleam to his eyes, as he regarded Akechi with strong interest.

Goro smiled reflexively, as he quickly contemplated over the question.

The ‘second advent of the prince detective.’

That was a title that he was being regarded as these days. He supposed it should’ve been flattering to hear those words but instead, Goro felt shame coiling in his stomach. He hasn’t done anything too extraordinary other than solve a few cases.

It wasn’t anything to be acclaimed for but yet, his fans threw around the title at him so quickly that it nearly blindsided him. He didn’t feel like he deserved the title, not when he was so scarcely involved with his detective work.

Yet, in a way, he was pleased.

Goro was honored to be loved to the point he was given such a grand name so easily. He wanted to laugh in the faces of his colleagues about the fact that he was appreciated by the public when they weren’t. He wanted to look down on them the same way they looked down on him.

Although, Goro supposed it was shameless to have such thoughts. He couldn’t tell Kurusu his actual feelings. If his audience learned the side of him that was abhorrently selfish, he would lose his large following and he couldn’t have that.

“Is that so?” Goro inquired instead, acting oblivious to Kurusu’s words. He brought up a finger to his chin and delivered a light, airy laugh. “That’s a flattering thing to hear! Though, I’m not certain if you should be comparing me to the likes of Shirogane Naoto. After all, I’m only a rookie detective.”

The crowd chortled at his words like they always did. However, Kurusu looked at him thoughtfully, head tilted inquisitively. The smile on Goro’s face felt frozen, as he grew uncomfortable with the dissecting stare Kurusu directed at him.

It was almost like Kurusu was able to see right pass him, as if his body was constructed of glass that the interviewer could clearly look through.

“As a detective, you must be a strong advocate for the right thing. So, I assume you feel heavily about misdemeanors,” Kurusu immediately said right after, prompting Goro to reluctantly nod his head in agreement. “Then, why haven’t you used your platform to inform the community of all the awful felonies happening as of lately?”

Goro’s composed smile faltered for a split second. His heart almost stopped beating in his chest as the words and he felt strangely cold. After dozens of interviews revolving around Goro’s life, he was surprised to hear questions regarding crimes. He had not been prepared to hear such a topic.

Although, it wasn’t as if he never spoke about certain crimes before but Goro always lightly brushed over the subject – in a way that wouldn’t panic the public.

The SIU director had informed him not to dwell too heavily on the felonies brought up during his interviews and informed him to speak briefly about the topic and to even lie if necessary whenever he was questioned about it.

“What do you mean by that?” Goro asked in a strained voice, his throat tightening in discomfort at the implication behind Kurusu’s words.

He had a feeling where this conversation was headed.

“Well, there’s been a rise of cases where people are taking advantage of their authority. I’m sure you’re well aware of it,” Kurusu said, inciting silence from the crowd. “A teacher abusing his students. A distinguished artist exploiting his pupils. A mafia boss blackmailing innocent people. Then, more recently, an owner of a huge company overworking his employees.”

Goro opened his mouth to address Kurusu’s words, before closing his mouth again. He didn’t know where to start. It was the first time someone called him out on his hesitancy on talking about the more severe crimes occurring.

He had to admit he was startled to hear Kurusu address such a heavy subject when most of his previous interviewers had cowered away from asking such questions – despite Goro being a detective who was expected to speak of such issues.

This must’ve been what Sae had meant when she said that this interview would be an interesting one – that Kurusu was special. From the way Kurusu dived straight into icy cold territory, unafraid to talk about such a subject, fearless while the other interviewers steered away from speaking about such chilling and daunting news.

“It’s not usually until it’s too late before anything is done,” Kurusu said seriously, his eyes full of discontent and frustration, nearly leaving Goro breathless at the raw emotion behind Kurusu’s face.

None of the previous interviewers have ever been as bold as Kurusu during his interviews. If they had even dared touch on any of the recent crimes, they’d speak in a moderate, almost uncertain tone, nearly the opposite of Kurusu’s heated words.

“I’m shocked that I haven’t heard more about these crimes in the news. I thought it was the law enforcement’s duty to warn the citizens of these types of offenses and prevent such incidents from happening repeatedly.” Kurusu’s eyes moved upwards towards Goro’s face, his gray eyes narrowed in a way as if he were challenging him to deny his claims.

Goro stared silently for a few tense seconds, eyes slightly wide in surprise, before pursing his lips pensively. He needed to think of an answer that wouldn’t unnerve the audience. By the startled silence and troubled expressions of the audience, they must’ve been slowly realizing the reasonable points Kurusu was bringing up.

“Those are all unfortunate incidents but, in those cases, the police aren’t notified until it’s too late. We also work as efficiently as we’re able to, so I implore that you be patient with us,” Goro stated calmly, looking back at Kurusu coolly, lips slightly curved upwards with slight interest.

Despite feeling captivated by Kurusu’s demanding questions, there was a small hint of aggravation at the challenge the interviewer was inciting.

Every issue Kurusu was bringing up was completely unnecessary for the audience to know.

“It’s also not our responsibility to spread the news, nor is it mine, no matter how well-known I may be to the eyes of the public.”

At Goro’s statement, Kurusu crumpled his nose in distaste and shook his head in strong disagreement, causing a soft scoff to fall from Goro’s lips, quiet enough for only Kurusu to hear. Kurusu leaned forwards in his seat, hands gripping his knees tightly, as he opposed against Goro’s claims.

“But it feels as if these incidents are constantly being brushed aside. There are times where it feels like the SIU and the police enforcement are trying to silence these cases from even coming out to the public and it keeps happening over and over again. How can you excuse that after constantly claiming to be a defender for society? The public looks up to you to spread the truth to them.”

The criticism slipping out of Kurusu’s mouth didn’t escape Goro’s attention. He could sense his irritation slowly about to burst out of his pores at the deploring words. He had never had someone disagree with him so strongly before.

“I assure you the police are taking action,” Goro said behind a clenched smile, deceit tumbling out of his mouth as easily as breathing. He wasn’t blind of the department’s incompetency and the man in power that was influencing the SIU director’s decisions.

Perhaps his hesitancy had to do with his inability to do anything about the corrupted forces of law and order. There was not a single thing Goro could do. If he confronted the SIU about it, they would undoubtfully silence him.

“But there hasn’t even been a statement from the justice department about the recent incident with Okumura. How are we supposed to trust the enforcement if they’re not being sincere with us?” Kurusu disputed, lips drawn downwards in dissatisfaction, exhibiting more emotions than necessary for an interviewer.

Goro stared thoughtfully at Kurusu. It was interesting how the journalist seemed to already have knowledge of the crimes when the public didn’t even have a clue. It was true that no one was talking about it. Those issues weren’t relevant enough for the SIU to order him to speak about.

He would bet that Shido had to be the one behind the department’s silence on the matter.

Wouldn’t it be nice to reveal everything right then and there? Goro always wondered how it would feel if he decided to let the truth roll out of his mouth and inform the public of the unfair practices of the law enforcement.

Goro was sure if he did, there would be heavy load off his chest. However, he had to wonder if he’ll have the same amount of power to lock his father up or if he’d have to begin everything from the beginning again? Starting from the bottom was a possibility that Goro did not want to risk.

“Our best interest lies in not inciting panic over trivial matters.” Goro eventually said, his words somewhat accurate. The role he was given was to prevent the public from worrying too much by giving them an obscured truth.

He was doing his job as a detective.

No, as a puppet of the justice system.

“Trivial matters?” Kurusu asked flatly, staring at Goro with a look akin to disappointment. “Well, it’s not only that. There’re also other reports circulating around as well – rumors of a shady politician using his influence to –”

“I suppose,” Goro interrupted. His heart skipped a beat at the mention of a politician. The words ‘shady’ and ‘politician’ obviously had to be no one other than Shido. Just the mere thought of Shido made Goro want to contort his face in disgust and anger. Instead of doing so, Goro curved his lips upwards in a strained attempt to collect himself, “that I should’ve been using my reputation with the community to bring those issues into light. However, even if I were to express my thoughts on the matter, I don’t believe anything would change. After all, I’m merely one person.”

Kurusu didn’t appear completely satisfied with his answer.

“Your popularity with the public would give you a voice.” Kurusu looked at him with a steady gaze, one that told him there was no excuses.

“As I said earlier,” Goro said with a hint of exasperation. “It’s not my duty to inform the public of anything. We are simply responsible for keeping the community safe through just methods.”

Goro scrutinized Kurusu with an appraising stare, his mouth set in a flat line.

“Anyways, isn’t it the job of the media to spread these types of news. Aren’t you a journalist?”

At Kurusu’s cautious nod and his eyes focused on Goro’s warily, the detective feigned a wide smile in an effort to ease the blow of his next words.

 “Then, why don’t you use those skills of yours and fabricate your story with the words you’re spouting. If you truly believe in the stance you have of the force, people are bound to side with you, regardless of whether it’s the truth or not.” The words rolled off his tongue easily, most likely sounding mocking in the ears of the journalist. There was no belief exhibited in the statement he had just uttered.

Kurusu didn’t say anything. Instead, a troubled look overcame him, and he darted his eyes towards the crowd in contemplation, before turning back to Goro. He opened his mouth, appearing conflicted, before closing it.

Goro knew that Kurusu had a lot more to say; he could see it from the way the other teen gripped his fists tightly, clenching his jaw in a riled manner, as he narrowed his eyes. Then, Kurusu relaxed from his tense posture, almost appearing resigned.

“I hear you enjoy going to Tokyo’s hidden stores and high-class restaurants,” Kurusu said in a softer voice, changing topics in a reluctant tone. The journalist’s mouth twisted downward in dissatisfaction and Goro would’ve thought Kurusu surrendered on the previous matter, but his gray eyes displayed conviction, flashing with determination that conveyed that he wasn’t finished yet with his discussion. “Can you tell me more about that?”

Goro’s mouth curved upwards in an amused smile before saying pleasantly, somewhat enthralled by the conflict on Kurusu’s face. 

“Gladly.”

 

 

 

After the interview had finished, Goro went to the audience members to greet his supporters to keep up appearances. Kurusu hadn’t trailed after him to do the same. Instead, he stayed in his seat and stared at Goro with a vigilant gaze, observing his every move with a calculating gleam in his gray eyes.

Despite his urge to turn and stare back with the same level of heat Kurusu was directing towards him, Goro continued to shake his fan’s hands and flash them a small smile. As he was speaking to another high schooler, Goro reflected back on the interview.

Kurusu hadn’t strayed off the topic of his social life since Goro had criticized his role as a journalist. However, the teen had stared at him in a strangely intense demeanor. There weren’t as many questions being asked but the ones that Kurusu had inquired about had felt empty and dull, as if the journalist had no interest whatsoever on Goro’s responses.

However, it looked as if the subject of the SIU’s competency and the odd cases were on the tip of Kurusu’s tongue.  

Once Goro smiled widely for a selfie with the high school student, he turned towards the stage with the intentions of leaving the TV station through the back. His steps towards his destination were purposeful, long and slow strides, as he observed Kurusu from the corner of his eye.

The teen was seated in his seat from earlier, appearing thoughtful and contemplative, as he waved amiably at a small group of people who had come closer to the stage. It looked as if Kurusu had his fair share of fans as well.

Just as Goro was about to leave through the back exit, a hand had clasped down onto his shoulder, prompting the detective to tense slightly and abruptly jerk his head back to the perpetrator responsible.

Ashen gray eyes widened in surprise at the sudden movement. Kurusu blinked slowly, mouth slightly open in hesitancy, before the teen collected himself with a gentle expression.

“Sorry, I apologize if my questions earlier were a little too imposing. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or put you on the spot,” Kurusu stated softly with an apologetic smile. The certainty on the teen’s face from earlier during the interview diminished down to hesitancy.

Yet, his eyes still shone with persistence. With the smoldering fire in Kurusu’s eyes behind his glasses, he clearly had no regrets with his attitude during the interview. It was also obvious to Goro that Kurusu wasn’t satisfied with their conversation today.

“No worries. I was merely caught off guard,” Goro stated evenly. “I apologize for being snide earlier. I’ve just been a little frustrated lately with work and you were bringing up some solid points about the disappointing factors of my job.”

“It’s alright, I can be overbearing at times,” Kurusu said sheepishly, reaching to scratch the back of his head in embarrassment. “I didn’t really notice that I was driving you to a corner. Maybe next time, I won’t be as bad as today.”

“You act as if there’s going to be another time,” Goro said with an amused laugh, slanting his head in a perplexed manner.

His response created a little wrinkle to materialize in between Kurusu’s eyebrows, where he was furrowing them together in a dejected look.

“So, you don’t want to?” The journalist asked quietly. The crestfallen expression on Kurusu’s face took Goro by surprise. He didn’t expect Kurusu to have wanted another interview, not when Goro had been so difficult to talk to.

“You don’t typically interview people on air, do you?” Goro asked, avoiding the question.

He could sense it in the way Kurusu had spoken in a heated manner, clearly affected by the misdemeanors he had brought up. It was different from the other interviewers with their practiced smiles, clear-cut voices, and proficient postures. He supposed Kurusu’s interview had felt more authentic than the other ones.

Although, it wasn’t exactly professional.

“Well, no,” Kurusu said softly. “I usually interview people without the broadcasting aspect. Then, I would write an article. I’m still a high school student who interns under a mentor, so I’m not normally offered such a grand opportunity like interviewing people on TV.”

“I see,” Goro murmured in fascination, bring up his finger up to his chin in thought. So, Kurusu wasn’t used to interviewing people on live television. Instead, the journalist was more familiar with publishing articles.

“But I guess I’ve grown a bit popular amongst some of the audience. This is about the fourth time they’ve had called me down to the TV station so suddenly in the past year.” Kurusu laughed sheepishly, sounding almost bewildered by the idea of it. His eyebrows were furrowed, and his head was slightly tilted in a perplexed look.

Kurusu appeared taken aback by his budding popularity. However, Goro could finally grasp the reason behind Kurusu’s sudden recognition. Earlier, when he had perceived Kurusu as bland, Goro was not prepared for the level of emotion indicated in the journalist’s raw voice and burning gaze.

The amount of spirit Kurusu placed in his questions and the intensity of the teen’s zeal was astounding to see. Goro supposed Kurusu’s passion for his interviews and career would’ve garnered appreciation from the public. It was intriguing to see a teenager with a penchant for journalism and it had certainly caught Goro’s fascination, no matter how much he had believed the journalist to be unprofessional with his interview.

“You do seem pretty new at it,” Goro noted softly, practically declaring the obvious, prompting Kurusu to nod in agreement.

“The TV station usually arranges me to interview celebrities. This is pretty much the first time I really had the chance to interrogate someone in another profession. I prefer the change.” Kurusu smiled, looking a bit hesitant. “Though, I suppose you’re an idol in your own regard too.”

If Goro had to label himself, he would say with conviction that he was more of a celebrity than a detective. The previous interviewers had never asked him about his role as a detective and the scarce moments he did, it had felt like he was more of a broadcaster, reciting dreary news, than he was an enforcer of the law.

His large following was never too interested in his activity as a detective. They were far more fascinated with his personal life, desiring to know more about him more intimately, and they were far too quick to dub him as the second advent of the Detective Prince, even though he didn’t do much in his workforce.

“I admit, I expected more questions such as my hair routine, daily life, or favorite activities during my interview. Something more along those lines,” Goro stated truthfully, which coaxed a reaction from the journalist.

Kurusu raised an unimpressed eyebrow, before stating bluntly, “And you wanted me to spend the entirety of my interview to ask how you achieved such luxurious hair as brilliant and smooth as yours.”

“Well, no,” Goro said, growing a little flustered. “But those are the types of interviews I’m used to.”

It did sound rather ludicrous now that he thought about it. He had grown far too used to answering foolish questions about himself than answering the topics he would expect as a detective.

Kurusu frowned lightly, before shaking his head in what Goro believed to be disapproval.

“If I were those other interviewers, the last thing I would like to ask is your hair routine. I would think you’d be more content to speak on your career as a detective, considering you are one,” Kurusu stated, before his frown deepened and his eyebrows knitted together to form a perplexed look. “Although, you seemed reluctant to even approach any of the subjects I posed from earlier?”

Kurusu peered at Goro with a probing gaze which seared into the detective uncomfortably. There were only questions begging to be answered behind Kurusu’s curious stare, gray eyes staring unblinking into Goro.

“Tell me,” Goro asked, his voice soft as he continued, “why are you so fixated on the public learning the truth?”

“I want to help people through the words I write. That’s why I chose this path,” Kurusu said in a frank tone, sounding like it wasn’t a big deal. Goro could almost visualize a listless shrug from the teen journalist with his nonchalant response.

However, his eyes flashed with heat, intensity swimming around his ashy orbs. There must’ve been a more significant reason to Kurusu’s career path than his vague explanation – a motive that was strong enough to cause such displeasure to exude from his body.

Goro wasn’t interested enough to ask the teen about it but he couldn’t help but continue to wonder about the driving force behind the journalist’s desire to publish articles as Kurusu started to speak again.

“Isn’t it the same for you, Mr. Detective? Aren’t you trying to discover the truth with the cases you solve?”

Goro stayed silent for a brief moment, before stating faintly, “You’re not wrong.”

If Goro ever wanted to bust Shido and place him behind bars, it would be beneficial to someday convey the ugly truth to the public. The remarkable politician they believed to be phenomenal and wonderful was only a sham.

“In your interviews, you always seem to put on a polite front, regardless of the questions you were asked. I thought that maybe your reserved exterior had to do with the lack of acknowledgement towards your career as a detective and that you’d warm up once you were actually inquired about your job. But now, I’m not certain anymore.”

“Oh,” Goro said in surprise, tilting his head curiously at Kurusu. “So, you’ve watched my interviews.”

Kurusu appeared to already be acquainted with his work with the familiarity he spoke with about his interviews.

“Of course, I’m a journalist. I need to research the people I’m invited to interview.”

The pink dusting of color on Kurusu’s cheeks was possibly a figment of Goro’s imagination. However, he couldn’t have envisioned the bashful expression on the teen’s face. From the way Kurusu had darted his eyes away in an act of embarrassment, there certainly had to be something more to Kurusu’s previous statement.

Then, Kurusu directed his gaze back to Goro, appearing more certain than before.

“I want to learn why you decided to become a detective. For me, I chose the path of a journalist because I want to give my hand to society by revealing certain truths to them, including the recent cases that they seem to be unaware of. It might take a while before I can write an article that’ll truly open the eyes of the public but until then, I’ll take a few small steps at a time.”

“How ridiculous,” Goro stated with a scoff, his words falling out of his mouth without a second thought.

The SIU was already corrupted, and he was certain the police department was the same way. There was no changing it. However, if Goro had to become as crooked and unethical as the justice system to bring Shido down, then he wouldn’t mind going down the path as a rotten detective. With the dishonesty he was presenting off to the public, he was already tumbling down the road anyways.

Although, it wasn’t like the public would be able to see how easily deceiving words rolled off his tongue. In their eyes, he was an upholding and marvelous detective. Goro had no intentions of changing their current views of him.

“I can help you,” Kurusu declared with conviction, boldly grabbing Goro’s hand with his own, before squeezing it tight with confidence. Goro could only raise an eyebrow in surprise at the odd gesture, as he inhaled sharply in alarm. “If we work together, I’m sure we can bring the truth to light. I _know_ you’ll be able to deliver me facts that no one is aware of yet. If you help me, I’ll write an article that’ll resonate with every single person in Tokyo.”

Goro laughed – cynical and scornful, before tugging his hand away.

“And how can you do that? You’re just a journalist. Nothing will result from either your interviews or articles. You’re not going to change a single thing. The community isn’t going to do a single thing.”

 _You’re useless, just like me,_ a voice had whispered cruelly in the back of Goro’s mind. However, Goro didn’t state the words outright to Kurusu’s face. He supposed it was too pessimistic for him to declare to a journalist who had too much hope than necessary.

Insignificant.

That was what the two of them were.

Exactly how could either of them change anything in their society. Goro understood how the world revolved. The system was always dishonest and deceitful and despite news channels constantly announcing horrendous crimes, nothing was ever changed. That was just how civilization worked.

“Didn’t you tell me earlier that anything I write would reach the ears of people. You told me that people were bound to believe me. You shouldn’t say things that contradict one another,” Kurusu declared.

Goro had said that to Kurusu to shut him up. It had done its job during the interview but now Kurusu was back and louder than ever.

“I know I’m irrelevant as I am now and maybe that’s how you’re feeling right now under the SIU. But we can spread news that the public deserves to know. There has to be a reason why you became a detective, a reason that landed you this far. If you’re ever up for speaking about it, then how about you give me a call or a text?”

Goro swallowed dryly as he considered his options. He opened his mouth with the idea of declining Kurusu, before allowing his words of rejection perish on his tongue. He had planned on denying the journalist’s request, but it seemed too cruel when the teen was staring at him with wide, expectant eyes.

“I have to go now,” Goro declared abruptly, as he turned back towards the exit, frowning pensively. “I suppose this is farewell.”

A hopeful smile flourished on Kurusu’s face, as the teen reached into his back pocket and swiftly handed him some sort of business card. Goro glanced down at the card, not entirely surprised to have obtained Kurusu’s contact information.

“Only if you want it to be. Let me know if you ever want another interview. I’ll be looking forward to the next time I see your face,” Kurusu stated evenly, his light smile altering into an amused smirk, before turning away with a wave of a hand and disappearing from his sight.

With a slight furrow, Goro turned over the card in his hand, staring briefly at Kurusu’s full name, phone number and email. After a couple seconds of silence, Goro squeezed his hand into a tight fist, crumpling the paper card in his hand. 

As he walked out of the TV station, Goro tossed the business card into a nearby trash can.

He had no intentions of ever seeing Kurusu again.

**Author's Note:**

> This was meant to be published like last month but I was distracted by my new job and I was also rewatching Code Geass which is SO good. It's been years but it's good remembering how amazing the show is.
> 
> Anyways, this story sounded good in my head two months ago but now, I'm not very certain, ahaha. There may be some inaccurate facts about journalism and interviewing since I'm not an expert on the subject. Anyways, thanks for reading!
> 
> Also not sure how I feel about this story or how often I’m going to update but lemme know if you’re interested! I appreciate all comments and kudos :)


End file.
